In January, folk artist Murphy Campbell discovered several songs on her Spotify profile that did not belong there. They were songs that she had recorded, but she’d never uploaded them to Spotify, and something was off about the vocals.
Technology
Android fixes 129 security flaws in major phone update
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Most people never think about Android security updates until a headline like this appears. Suddenly, your phone, the device you use for messages, banking, photos and work, becomes part of a global cybersecurity story.
That is exactly what happened this week. Google released its latest Android security updates, and they fix a massive 129 vulnerabilities. Even more concerning, one of them is already being exploited by attackers.
The flaw targets a component connected to Qualcomm graphics hardware, and researchers say it has already been used in limited targeted attacks. If you use an Android phone, this is the kind of update you want installed as soon as possible.
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GOOGLE DISMANTLES 9M-DEVICE ANDROID HIJACK NETWORK
Google’s March Android security update fixes 129 vulnerabilities, including a zero-day flaw already exploited in targeted attacks. (Firdous Nazir/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Android security flaw already targeted by attackers
One vulnerability in particular has security researchers paying close attention. The flaw is tracked as CVE-2026-21385. Google says there are signs it is already being used in targeted attacks. That makes it a zero-day vulnerability.
In simple terms, attackers discovered the flaw before many devices received a fix. According to Qualcomm, the problem is tied to the graphics processing component inside many of its chipsets. Specifically, the issue involves something called an integer overflow. That technical term means a calculation error can cause memory corruption inside the system. Once that happens, attackers may gain a foothold on the device.
Qualcomm says the flaw impacts 235 different chipsets, which means a large number of Android phones could be affected. Google’s Threat Analysis Group discovered the issue and reported it through coordinated disclosure practices. Qualcomm then worked with device makers to release patches.
Why the Android security vulnerability is dangerous
Several of the patched vulnerabilities allow attackers to execute code remotely or gain elevated privileges on a device. One issue inside the Android System component is especially concerning. Google says it could allow remote code execution without any user interaction.
That means an attacker may exploit the flaw without the victim tapping a link or installing an app. In cybersecurity terms, that type of vulnerability ranks among the most dangerous.
The March Android bulletin addresses ten critical flaws across the System, Framework and Kernel components. These parts sit at the core of Android, so any weakness there can ripple across millions of devices.
ANDROID MALWARE HIDDEN IN FAKE ANTIVIRUS APP
Android users are urged to install the latest security patch as manufacturers roll out updates across devices. (Barrington Coombs/PA Images via Getty Images)
Why some Android phones get security updates faster
Google released two patch levels for this update:
- 2026-03-01 security patch level
- 2026-03-05 security patch level
The second update includes everything in the first, plus fixes for additional hardware components and third-party software. Google Pixel devices typically receive updates immediately. However, many Android users must wait longer.
Phone manufacturers such as Samsung, Motorola and OnePlus often test the patches before releasing them for specific models. Carriers may also delay updates while they verify compatibility. As a result, some users receive security patches quickly while others wait weeks.
How to protect your Android phone from security threats
Security vulnerabilities are a reality in modern software. The good news is that there are several simple steps that can greatly reduce your risk.
1) Install Android updates quickly
Check for updates regularly and install them as soon as they appear. On most devices, go to Settings, tap Security and privacy or Software update, then select Check for updates and install the latest version if one is available. Security updates often fix vulnerabilities that attackers may already be trying to exploit.
2) Avoid apps from unknown sources
Only download apps from trusted stores like Google Play. Third-party app stores pose a higher risk of malware.
3) Keep Google Play Protect enabled
Google Play Protect, which is built-in malware protection for Android devices, scans apps for malicious behavior and warns you if something suspicious appears. It also automatically removes known malware. However, it is important to note that Google Play Protect may not be enough. Historically, it isn’t 100% foolproof at removing all known malware from Android devices. Therefore, we recommend strong antivirus software because it adds another layer of protection by using deeper threat detection, real-time monitoring and broader malware databases that can catch suspicious apps or files that Google Play Protect may overlook. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com
4) Use strong device security
Set a strong passcode on your phone and turn on fingerprint or face unlock if your device supports it. This helps keep strangers out of your phone if it is lost or stolen.
5) Be cautious with suspicious links
Many attacks still start with phishing messages. Avoid tapping unknown links in texts, emails, or social media messages.
YOUR PHONE SHARES DATA AT NIGHT: HERE’S HOW TO STOP IT
A critical Android zero-day tied to Qualcomm chipsets could allow attackers to gain a foothold on affected devices. (Donato Fasano/Getty Images)
The bigger picture behind Android security updates
This Android update also highlights how modern mobile security works behind the scenes. Google’s Threat Analysis Group frequently discovers vulnerabilities that may already be used in real-world attacks. Those findings trigger coordinated responses involving chip manufacturers, phone makers and security researchers. In this case, Qualcomm received the report in December and provided fixes to device makers in early 2026.
By the time the public bulletin arrived, patches were already moving through the Android ecosystem. The process may look slow from the outside. In reality, it involves dozens of companies working together to prevent widespread exploitation.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Security updates rarely feel exciting. Yet they play a critical role in protecting billions of smartphones around the world. This latest Android update proves that point clearly. A zero-day flaw tied to Qualcomm graphics hardware was already being targeted before many users even knew it existed. Installing updates quickly remains one of the simplest ways to protect your device and your personal data. Most of the time, the update only takes a few minutes. Those few minutes can block attacks that might otherwise compromise your phone. So the next time your Android device prompts you to install a security patch, the better question may be this:
When your phone asks for a security update, do you install it immediately or tap remind me later? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Target is offering a great deal to some Target Circle members that knocks $30 off the cost of two Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 games. The sale is happening for the rest of the day, expiring at 2:59AM ET on April 5th. If you sign in with the free-to-join membership, you might be able to add two eligible games to your cart, then watch the prices fall at checkout.
There are 224 eligible games (some physical, some digital), and many of Nintendo’s biggest hits from the past year and beyond are here, including Switch 2-exclusive games like Donkey Kong Bananza, Kirby Air Riders, Mario Kart World, Mario Tennis Fever, and more (I didn’t see Pokémon Pokopia in the list, though).
This deal is worth hopping on whether you intend to gift these games, or just get them for yourself. Discounts on Nintendo-published games are rare, and it’s quite a nice perk that Target Circle members have in getting to choose the games they want to save on.
While each of the games that I mentioned ship on cartridges that don’t require a bunch of your console’s internal storage (just enough for save data), there are some Switch 2 games that ship on Game Key Cards. Those cartridges, once inserted into the console, simply grant you the ability to download a copy from the Nintendo eShop onto your console. Game sizes varies, but you may want to pick up a microSD Express card to add more storage on top of the Switch 2’s 256GB built-in SSD. This 256GB Samsung model is $59 at Amazon.
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Every time you ask ChatGPT a question, say “Hey Siri” or let Google finish your sentence, something else may happen in the background. In many cases, you are helping train the AI that responds to you.
Most people do not realize this. However, many AI platforms use conversations to improve their systems. As a result, your questions, your voice and your habits can be stored and reused by some of the world’s largest tech companies.
That said, you are not stuck with these settings. You can turn off much of this data collection if you know where to look. Even better, it only takes about 15 minutes across the major platforms. Here is exactly how.
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5 SIMPLE TECH TIPS TO TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA
What AI apps are quietly collecting about you
AI assistants are designed to feel like a private conversation. But, depending on the platform, what’s collected often goes well beyond what you typed or said:
- Full conversation transcripts
- Voice recordings and audio clips
- Location data and device identifiers
- Browsing habits and search history
- Names, routines and personal details you mention in passing
- App usage patterns across your devices.
Almost none of this is turned off by default. You have to go find the switch yourself.
Think about what you’ve actually shared lately
Here’s a quick thought experiment. In the last month, have you asked an AI assistant about:
- A health symptom you were worried about?
- A financial decision you were weighing?
- A family situation you needed advice on?
- Your child’s schedule, school or activities?
Each detail seems harmless on its own. But, together, they create a surprisingly detailed picture of your life, one that could be stored indefinitely, reviewed by human contractors or exposed in a data breach.
In 2023, Samsung engineers accidentally leaked sensitive internal code by pasting it into ChatGPT. Most people don’t have an IT department watching out for them. But everyone can take a few minutes to adjust their settings.
How to opt out platform by platform
This doesn’t mean you should stop using AI tools. They can be incredibly useful. But it’s worth understanding what’s being collected and what you can turn off right now.
1) ChatGPT (OpenAI)
By default, your conversations may be used to help improve AI models, but you can turn this off at any time.
To turn this off:
- Open ChatGPT
- Tap or click your profile icon
- Select Settings
- Go to Data Controls
- Toggle off “Improve the model for everyone”
You can also go to Settings > Data Controls > Export data to download everything OpenAI has stored, or select Delete all chats to wipe your history. Note that even with training off, OpenAI retains conversations for up to 30 days for safety monitoring.
Turning off “Improve the model for everyone” stops your ChatGPT conversations from being used for training. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
2) Google (Gemini & AI features)
Google’s AI tools, including Gemini and Search’s AI Overviews, are tied to your Google account activity.
To manage this:
- Go to myactivity.google.com
- Select Web & App Activity and turn it off, or set auto-delete to three months
- Separately, visit gemini.google.com > Settings > Gemini Apps Activity and toggle it off
Keep in mind that disabling activity tracking may affect personalization across Gmail, Maps and other Google services.
DATA BROKERS ACCUSED OF HIDING OPT-OUT PAGES FROM GOOGLE
Google’s Gemini activity settings show how your AI interactions may still be stored unless you delete them. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
3) Microsoft Copilot
Copilot is built into Windows, Microsoft 365 and Edge, so it can access a wide range of your documents and activity.
To adjust your settings:
- Go to account.microsoft.com/privacy and sign in
- Click Privacy in the left-hand menu
- Scroll to App and service activity and review your recent activity
- Click Clear all activities or remove individual items
- Scroll down to App and service performance data, and clear that data if available
- Scroll further and select Copilot, then tap Manage data from Microsoft Copilot to review or delete your data
In Windows 11: Settings > Privacy & Security > Diagnostics & Feedback and turn off Optional diagnostic data
Microsoft does not offer one single switch that turns off all Copilot data collection, so you need to review settings in multiple places. Enterprise users should check with an IT administrator since organizational settings may also apply.
Microsoft’s privacy dashboard lets you review and clear app and service activity tied to your account. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
4) Amazon Alexa
Alexa stores voice recordings by default, and, in some cases, Amazon may have human reviewers listen to those recordings as part of its quality review process.
To turn off voice recording use:
- Open the Alexa app
- Tap More (upper left, three lines)
- Tap Alexa Privacy
- Scroll down and select Manage Your Alexa Data
- Tap Help Improve Alexa and turn off Use Voice Recordings
- Confirm your decision by tapping Turn off
To stop Alexa from keeping your recordings:
- Open the Alexa app
- Tap More (upper left, three lines)
- Tap Alexa Privacy
- Scroll down and select Manage Your Alexa Data
- Tap Voice Recordings and Transcripts
- Select Don’t retain
In the Alexa app, turning off voice recording use prevents Amazon from using your recordings to improve services. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
5) Apple Siri
Apple is generally more privacy-focused than other platforms, but Siri still collects data to improve its performance.
To limit Siri data collection:
- Go to Settings
- Tap Privacy & Security
- Tap Analytics & Improvements
- Turn off Share iPhone & Apple Watch Analytics
- Scroll down and turn off Improve Siri & Dictation
To delete your existing Siri history:
Go to Settings, Tap Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri Tap Siri & Dictation History Tap Delete Siri & Dictation History
Disabling analytics on iPhone limits how Apple collects data to improve Siri and other features. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Why AI privacy settings are only part of the solution
Adjusting these settings is an important step. But it only controls what these apps collect directly going forward. It doesn’t address the hundreds of websites that may already be publishing your personal information online, right now, without your knowledge.
Data brokers are still collecting your information
Data brokers do not need your AI chat history. Instead, they pull information from public records, marketing lists and people search databases. They also refresh these profiles constantly, which keeps your data active and easy to find.
As a result, your name, address, phone number and family members may already appear on dozens of sites you have never heard of. Unlike AI apps, these sites do not offer a single settings menu to turn this off.
While you can remove your data manually, the process takes hours and often requires repeated requests when your information gets reposted. In many cases, you need to revisit these sites regularly to keep your information from reappearing.
The goal is simple: make it much harder for strangers, scammers and cybercriminals to find your personal information online.
While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.
Kurt’s Key Takeaways
Spending just 15 minutes adjusting your AI privacy settings is one of the most effective steps you can take to protect your digital privacy right now. Most major platforms, including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Apple, collect data by default. However, you can opt out, even though companies often bury these settings deep in menus.
As a result, many people never find them. At the same time, AI assistants feel private and conversational, so you may share more personal information than you realize. Even if you turn off data collection going forward, companies do not erase what they have already stored. In addition, these settings only control what happens inside each platform. Data brokers still build separate profiles about you using information pulled from across the internet.
Because of this, privacy is not a one-time fix. Instead, you need to check your settings regularly and stay aware of what you share. The good news is you do not have to stop using AI tools. Instead, take a few minutes this week to review your settings and make sure the rest of your digital footprint is not working against you.
How much personal data are you willing to let big tech companies collect from your everyday AI use? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
She quickly surmised that someone had pulled performances of the songs she posted to YouTube, created AI covers, and uploaded them to streaming platforms under her name. I ran one of the songs, “Four Marys”, through two different AI detectors, and it seemed to support her suspicions with both saying it was probably AI-generated.
Campbell was shocked, “I was kind of under the impression that we had a little bit more checks in place before someone could just do that. But, you know, a lesson learned there,” she told The Verge. It took some time before Campbell managed to get the fake songs removed, “I became a pest,” she said. And even then, it wasn’t a complete victory. While the offending tracks don’t appear to be available on YouTube Music or Apple Music anymore, at least one can still be found on Spotify, just under a different artist profile, but with the same name. There are now multiple Murphy Campbells — “Obviously, I was thrilled by that,” the real Murphy Campbell said.
Spotify is testing a new system that would allow artists to manually approve songs before they appear on their profile, but Campbell is skeptical after being burned. “I feel like, every time, an entity that’s that large makes a promise like that to musicians. It seems to just not be what they made it out to be, but I’ll be curious to try it out in the future,” she said.
This was just the beginning of Campbell’s nightmare, however.
On the day that a Rolling Stone article was published, discussing Campbell’s brush with AI imitators, a series of videos were uploaded to YouTube through distributor Vydia. Those videos have not been posted publicly, and it’s unclear if anyone other than the uploader, who goes by Murphy Rider, has seen them. YouTube declined to comment for this story.
Those were used to claim ownership of the material in several of Murphy Campbell’s videos. Campbell received a notice from YouTube reading: “You are now sharing revenues with the copyright owners of the music detected in your video, Darling Corey.” The most confusing part, the songs at the center of these claims are all in the public domain, including the classic “In the Pines,” which dates back to at least the 1870s and has been covered by everyone from Lead Belly to Nirvana (as “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”).
Vydia has since released those claims, and spokesperson Roy LaManna says the person who uploaded the videos has been banned from their platform. Of the over 6,000,000 claims filed by Vydia through YouTube’s Content ID system, 0.02 percent were found to be invalid, which LaManna says is, “by industry standards is like amazing.” Continuing, “we pride ourselves on doing this the right way.”
LaManna also says that Vydia has no connection to Timeless IR or the AI covers that were uploaded to streaming platforms under Campbell’s name. While the timing is certainly suspicious, LaManna says the two incidents are separate.
Vydia has received a lot of blowback including, LaManna says, “literal death threats” which have led to the offices being evacuated. Campbell isn’t about to let Vydia off the hook, but notes that it’s not solely to blame. The worlds of generative AI, music distribution, and copyright are complex with multiple points of failure and opportunities for abuse. “I think it goes way deeper than we think it does,” Campbell says.
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